High school athletes take to track for preliminaries

Several Newport-Mesa area athletes will be vying to make it to Mt. San Antonio College next week as they compete today in the CIF Southern Section preliminaries.

Newport Harbor High, led by senior distance runner Rex Nelson, will be competing in the Division II preliminaries at Moorpark High.

Nelson won the 1,600 meters and the 3,200 last week at the Sunset League championships.

The Corona del Mar girls, the Pacific Coast League champions, and some of the school’s boys’ team will be at the Division III preliminaries at Warren High in Downey.

The Costa Mesa girls, the Orange Coast League champions, and a few of the Mustang boys will also be at Warren, as will Estancia’s Fernando Orozco, the Orange Coast League champion in the 1,600.

In Division IV, Sage Hill School’s boys and girls will be at Carpinteria High. The Lightning girls, led by Cait Willimson and Megan Kim, won the Academy League title last week.

Field events start at 11 a.m., and running events begin at noon.

Those who advance qualify for the CIF Southern Section championships Saturday at Mt. SAC.

— From staff reports